Another vote for SA from JFK. My only experience is in C, and they are actually pretty good. Better seats than Lufthansa or United, full flat in 2-2-2 configuration on an A340.
Your shortest options from JFK (all airlines, not just Star):
[KVS Availability Tool 6.9.4/Diamond - Sabre: Availability/FS/US]
Code:
JFK New York John F Kennedy Intl NY US [KJFK]
JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo Intl ZA [FAJS]
WED 18 Apr 2012
Carrier Flight From Depart To Arrive A/C St Availability
--------- ------ ---- -------- ---- -------- --- -- -----------------------------------------------------------------
SA 204 JFK 11:15 JNB 08:35 346 C9 J9 Z9 D6 Y9 B9 M9 K9 H9 S9 Q9 T9 V9 L9 W9 G9
UA/SA 7916 JFK 11:15 JNB 08:35 346 J4 C4 D4 Z4 Y4 B4 M4 U4 H4 Q4 V4 W4 S4 T4 K4 L4 G4 E4
KL 642 JFK 18:00 AMS 07:25 777 J9 C9 D9 I9 Z9 O0 Y9 B9 M9 U9 K9 H9 L9 Q9 T9 E0 N9 R9 X9 G0
-> KL 591 AMS 10:20 JNB 21:20 777 J9 C9 D9 I9 Z9 O0 Y9 B9 M9 U9 K9 H9 L9 Q9 T9 E0 N9 R9 X9 G0
DL/KL 9357 JFK 18:00 AMS 07:25 77W J4 C4 D0 I0 S0 Y4 B4 M4 H4 Q4 K4 L4 U4 T0
-> DL/KL 9600 AMS 10:20 JNB 21:20 777 J4 C4 D4 I4 S4 Y4 B4 M4 H4 Q4 K4 L4 U4 T4
DL 2043 JFK 13:05 ATL 15:40 319 F8 P8 A3 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9 E0
-> DL 200 ATL 20:05 JNB 17:25 77L J9 C9 D6 I0 S0 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9 E0
DL 2143 JFK 15:44 ATL 18:23 757 F9 P9 A9 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9 E0
-> DL 200 ATL 20:05 JNB 17:25 77L J9 C9 D6 I6 S0 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9 E0
EK 204 JFK 11:20 DXB 07:50 77W P2 A2 J4 C4 I4 O7 Y7 E7 R7 W7 M7 B7 U7 K0 H7 Q7 L7 T7 V7 X7
-> EK 763 DXB 10:15 JNB 16:25 77W P4 A4 J7 C7 I7 O7 Y9 E9 R9 W9 M9 B9 U9 K9 H0 Q9 L9 T9 V9 X9
EK 204 JFK 11:20 DXB 07:50 77W P2 A2 J4 C4 I4 O7 Y7 E7 R7 W7 M7 B7 U7 K0 H7 Q7 L7 T7 V7 X7
-> SA/EK 7161 DXB 10:15 JNB 16:25 77W F2 P2 A1 C6 J5 Z5 D5 Y9 B9 M9 K9 H9 S9 Q9 T9 V9 L9 W9 G9
UA/## 5711 JFK 10:14 IAD 11:34 CRJ Y4 B4 E4 M4 U4 H4 Q4 V4 W4 S4 T0 L0 K0 G0
-> UA/SA 7918 IAD 17:40 JNB 16:30 343 J4 C4 D0 Z0 Y4 B4 E4 M4 U4 H4 Q4 V4 W4 S4 T4 L4 K4 G4
UA/## 5712 JFK 14:25 IAD 15:48 CRJ Y4 B4 E4 M4 U4 H4 Q4 V4 W4 S0 T0 L0 K0 G0
-> UA/SA 7918 IAD 17:40 JNB 16:30 343 J4 C4 D0 Z0 Y4 B4 E4 M4 U4 H4 Q4 V4 W4 S4 T4 L4 K4 G4
SA/UA 7451 JFK 14:25 IAD 15:48 CRJ Y4 B0 M0 K0 H0 S0 Q0 T0 V0 L0 W0 G0
-> SA 208 IAD 17:40 JNB 16:30 343 C4 J4 Z0 D0 Y4 B4 M4 K4 H4 S4 Q4 T4 V4 L4 W4 G4
BA 178 JFK 08:00 LHR 19:40 744 F9 A7 C9 D9 R9 I2 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 Q9 G9 J9 W9 E9 T9 N9 O9
-> BA 57 LHR 21:20 JNB 09:05 744 F7 A5 C9 D9 R9 I9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 Q9 G9 J9 W9 E9 T9 N9 O9
IB/BA 4618 JFK 08:00 LHR 19:40 744 F9 J9 C9 D9 R9 I0 A0 W9 Z0 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O0
-> IB/BA 4772 LHR 21:20 JNB 09:05 744 F9 J9 C9 D9 R9 I9 A9 W9 Z9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9
And EWR:
[KVS Availability Tool 6.9.4/Diamond - Sabre: Availability/FS/US]
Code:
EWR New York Newark Liberty Intl NJ US [KEWR]
JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo Intl ZA [FAJS]
WED 18 Apr 2012
Carrier Flight From Depart To Arrive A/C St Availability
--------- ------ ---- -------- ---- -------- --- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------
DL 604 EWR 18:05 AMS 07:50 767 J9 C9 D9 I9 S9 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9 E0
-> DL/KL 9600 AMS 10:20 JNB 21:20 777 J9 C9 D9 I9 S9 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9
KL/DL 6054 EWR 18:05 AMS 07:50 767 J9 C9 D9 I9 Z9 Y9 B9 M9 U9 K9 H9 L9 Q9 T9 N9 R9
-> KL 591 AMS 10:20 JNB 21:20 777 J9 C9 D9 I9 Z9 Y9 B9 M9 U9 K9 H9 L9 Q9 T9 N9 R9 X0
CO 70 EWR 18:05 AMS 07:45 752 F4 A6 J4 C4 D6 Z3 Y7 B7 M7 E7 U7 H7 Q7 V7 W7 S7 T0 L0 K0 G0 N0
-> KL 591 AMS 10:20 JNB 21:20 777 J9 C9 D9 I9 Z9 O0 Y9 S0 B9 M9 U? K9 H9 L9 Q9 T9 E0 N9 R9 V0 X0 G0 W0
DL 935 EWR 14:15 ATL 16:31 73W F9 P9 A9 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9 E0
-> DL 200 ATL 20:05 JNB 17:25 77L J9 C9 D4 I4 S0 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9 E0
DL 1942 EWR 15:45 ATL 18:08 319 F9 P9 A9 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9 E0
-> DL 200 ATL 20:05 JNB 17:25 77L J9 C9 D4 I4 S0 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9 E0
CO/## 4159 EWR 16:34 ATL 19:01 ERJ Y7 B7 M7 E7 U7 H7 Q7 V7 W7 S7 T0 L0 K0 G0 N0
-> DL 200 ATL 20:05 JNB 17:25 77L J4 C4 D4 I4 S0 Y4 B4 M4 H4 Q4 K4 L4 U4 T4 E4
UA/XE 4159 EWR 16:34 ATL 19:01 ER4 Y4 B4 E4 M4 U4 H4 Q4 V4 W4 S4 T0 L0 K0 G0
-> DL 200 ATL 20:05 JNB 17:25 77L J4 C4 D4 I4 S0 Y4 B4 M4 H4 Q4 K4 L4 U4 T4 E4
UA/9L 4945 EWR 10:19 IAD 11:40 DH4 B9 M9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 L9 K9 G9 Y9 E9 U9
-> UA/SA 7918 IAD 17:40 JNB 16:30 343 J4 C4 D0 Z0 Y4 B4 E4 M4 U4 H4 Q4 V4 W4 S4 T4 L4 K4 G4
UA/9L 4880 EWR 13:12 DCA 14:23 DH4 Y9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 L9 K9 G9
-> UA/SA 7918 IAD 17:40 JNB 16:30 343 J4 C4 D0 Z0 Y4 B4 E4 M4 U4 H4 Q4 V4 W4 S4 T4 L4 K4 G4
CO/## 4880 EWR 13:12 DCA 14:23 DH4 Y7 B7 M7 E7 U7 H7 Q7 V7 W7 S7 T7 L7 K7 G7 N0
-> SA 208 IAD 17:40 JNB 16:30 343 C4 J4 Z0 D0 Y4 B4 M4 K4 H4 S4 Q4 T4 V4 L4 W4 G4
UA/XE 4676 EWR 13:46 IAD 15:09 ER4 Y4 B4 E4 M4 U4 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 L0 K0 G0
-> UA/SA 7918 IAD 17:40 JNB 16:30 343 J4 C4 D0 Z0 Y4 B4 E4 M4 U4 H4 Q4 V4 W4 S4 T4 L4 K4 G4
CO/## 4676 EWR 13:46 IAD 15:09 ERJ Y7 B7 M7 E7 U7 H6 Q4 V4 W1 S1 T1 L0 K0 G0 N0
-> SA 208 IAD 17:40 JNB 16:30 343 C9 J9 Z4 D3 Y9 B9 M9 K9 H9 S9 Q9 T9 V9 L9 W9 G9